We are Tampa, Floridaand the subject ofCuba is never far from a talking point. The Cuban-American normalization process now underway ratchets up the rhetoric as well as expectations.
Some thoughts to reflect on:
*My wife and I have acquaintances in Cuba. They made the case 15 years ago that it would ultimately take the “biological” solution for all barriers–i.e. the embargo that is still called a “blockade” on the island–to be lifted. “Biological solution” is the Cuban euphemism for the passing of both Castro brothers. That would truly pave the way for the ultimate “face saving” negotiation.
* Al Fox Jr. Before it was trendy to talk about preparing for post-embargo reality and courting contacts and relationships on the island, there was Al Fox. Generations from now, this counterproductive, Cold War-relic policy will be looked upon as some embarrassingly weird, historic anomaly. But when it mattered most to keep the issue alive and fight the good–if often unappreciated–fight, Fox, the founder of the Alliance for Responsible Cuba Policy, was there.
* U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa. Once she got her bearings, the five-term congresswoman became a proactive factor for progress on Cuban policy. Now no one in the Florida delegation matters more on the issue. She’s the key catalyst in organizing the March community forum on Cuba–in conjunction with the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce and TIA.
* U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz., D-Pembroke Pines and chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee. Thanks for nothing. The native New Yorker is a liberal in everything except where she has to sell out to the politically potent, right-wing exile community.
* Sen. Marco Rubio, U.S. Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Díaz-Balart. History will not be as kind to the “Three Amigos” as Little Havana has been. Via political intimidation, the sovereign state of South Florida has dictated a vendetta-agenda foreign policy on Cuba. It has benefited neither Florida nor the U.S. How ironic that the jowly, snarly Ros-Lehtinen was caught on camera when President Obama was referencing his evolving Cuban policy at the State of the Union address. She looked like a Banana Republic dictator.
*Too bad the governor of the state and the mayor of the city that would benefit most from normalization aren’t gung-ho for it. Rick Scott reflexively plays the hardliner card to accommodate the usual suspects, while Bob Buckhorn stays neutral because of loyalty to those who lost the most as a result of the revolution. Regardless of motivation, non-advocacy doesn’t help.
* Finally, some advice for the adventurous as well as the generic tourist. Do your best to get to Cuba now before it loses cachet and turns into the Bahamas with Cold War history and clueless gringos in Che berets.